Computers have become an integral part of the daily lives of millions of individuals across the globe. Consumers use computers in their various forms, be they desktop computers, tablets, smartphones, or the like, to all manner of ends. One such purpose is the buying and selling of physical products. The use of computers in the buying and selling of physical products provides consumers with a wide array of such products from which to choose. However, such items are often produced and distributed from a central location. In such scenarios, such items often are produced at significant distances from the ultimate intended recipient, and often, even from the intermediate point through which distribution occurs. Generally, the greater such distances, naturally, the greater the time needed to deliver the item, as well as the associated delivery costs, among other such disadvantages.
Efforts to minimize delivery times and cost often focus on improvements in the distribution pathway between manufacturer and relevant end-point, such as a retail store or the consumer. These improvements often revolve around new handling equipment, improved transportation means, or changes in the use of intermediate distribution points.
Complicating matters is the fact that a customer may wish to personalize the item purchased. This may take the form of penning a sentiment in a greeting card, choosing a made-to-order style or color, adding or deleting options, or the like. If such items are personalized at the point of manufacture, such items cannot be pre-positioned in advance closer to the end-point in order to reduce delivery times and costs.
The foregoing problems, as well as other such failings, stand as obstacles to the efficient, effective manufacture and distribution of physical items. That being the case, it is therefore desirable to provide mechanisms that address such shortcomings, and to do so in an effective, efficient manner.